Disgraced former New South Wales detective Roger Rogerson "didn't have a worry in the world" and was enjoying watching some weekend boxing bouts in Queensland, just as police were preparing to raid his Sydney home over the murder of student Jamie Gao.

Mark Dixon, a friend and former bodyguard of Rogerson, has revealed to the ABC that the former police officer had been in Redcliffe, north of Brisbane, for the weekend, and had attended a public event.

"I brought him up here as a guest of mine to watch some exhibition sparring at my gym here at Redcliffe," said Mr Dixon, who is also known by colleagues as "The Hammer".

"I had Roger here to meet a few of the locals and he was having a great time."

Police from NSW, accompanied by Queensland colleagues, came looking for Rogerson at the boxing gym of Mr Dixon on Monday night. But they were about 12 hours too late.

Mr Dixon told the ABC Rogerson had left the Scarborough home of Mr Dixon's uncle, former boxer and harness racing identity Alan "Bunger" Johnson, before dawn on Monday heading for Sydney, where the 73-year-old was arrested at his Padstow home this morning.

On Monday, another former detective and alleged accomplice of Rogerson, Glen McNamara, was charged with the murder of 20-year-old Mr Gao, who went missing a week ago.

Mr Dixon said he had first met Rogerson while he was working as a bodyguard for the notorious criminal turned author Mark "Chopper" Read.

Mr Dixon earned his nickname after getting between Read and a man trying to attack the career thug with a hammer.

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